


Across the Battlefield

by J_J_Janson



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Action, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 07:51:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13497780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_J_Janson/pseuds/J_J_Janson
Summary: Tatiana and Zeke are so close to their reunion, but a battlefield and Jerome still stand between them.





	Across the Battlefield

Tatiana’s heart had fluttered when she saw Zeke again, even if they were separated by a battlefield, but her heart fell when she saw him lead his troops against Jerome. As he rode at the head of his column towards Jerome’s troops, Tatiana felt just as helpless as she had been in prison. Helpless, mocked, starved. Nuibaba revelled in Tatiana’s suffering, and never forgot to report what abuse Zeke had been subjected to in order to keep her safe. 

Tatiana had been stuck in the dungeon when Mathilda struck Nuibaba down. She had not been able to do anything to her own captor. And now she would have to sit back as Zeke was able to face down his.

Tatiana was pulled out of her melancholy, quite literally, by Mathilda’s strong arm. With one smooth motion, Mathilda set Tatiana down behind her on her horse. “Would you like a lift, Tatiana?” Mathilda asked.

Tatiana instinctively wrapped her arms around Mathilda’s waist as Mathilda’s horse galloped forward to catch up with the vanguard. “What are you doing, Mathilda?”

Mathilda’s hair flew behind her, and Tatiana had to duck her head into the small of Mathilda’s back to avoid getting any in her mouth. Tatiana’s own hair was fluttering behind her, reminding Tatiana of the harsh winds of a cold winter day. Mathilda had to shout against the rumbling of hooves. “I figured you would want to see General Ezekiel as soon as possible. So I’ll take you out to him.”

Tatiana wrung her hands, even though they were pressed against Mathilda’s stomach. She had been serving the Deliverance as a healer, but she had not been on the front before. “Are you sure I won’t slow you down?”

Mathilda let out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I can hold my own.” She grew more serious. “Besides, General Ezekiel’s men could be potential allies, and I’d like to get a healer to them as soon as possible.”

Tatiana hesitated. “They’ll fight against Jerome, but I don’t think they’ll join the Deliverance. Zeke has a lot of respect for the Emperor. It would take something pretty big for him, or his men, to side with the Deliverance. Jerome is corrupt and cruel, but the Emperor is still respected.”

Mathilda nodded. “I can understand. As cruel and vain as Lima was, I did not wish to rebel against him. It’s a frightening step to take. But, regardless of whether they join us in the future, they are our allies now, and I’d like to help them.” 

Before Tatiana could thank Mathilda again, she noticed a pair of mounted knights that had begun galloping towards Tatiana and Mathilda. In response, Mathilda lifted her lance and pointed it at one enemy, then moved it to point at the other. She switched targets in the hopes of intimidating them.

They did not turn.

With a swish of her wrist, Tatiana summoned her staff out of thin air. “Seraphim won’t work as well against living opponents, but I think I can blind them for a moment. Would that help?”

Mathilda used her left hand to gently pat Tatiana’s hand that was still wrapped around her waist. “That’d be great. Let them have it.”

Tatiana raised her staff above her head, and as the knights lifted their gaze to watch it rise. Then, a light like the sun’s glare radiated out from the staff. Both knights clutched at their eyes, screaming.

Mathilda kept her lance pointed at one enemy, and rode between the two enemies. 

With the resounding crash of a tree falling in a frozen forest, Mathilda’s lance smashed into the knight on their right, sending him flying from his horse.

As they passed the knight on the left, Mathilda lifted her fist, punching the knight in the face with the resounding clang of a bell that had fallen from a tower.

He too hit the ground with a dull thud.

Mathilda flexed her fingers for a moment before taking her reins again.

All Tatiana could say was “Wow.” 

Mathilda chuckled. “If you think that was impressive, you should watch General Ezekiel.” 

She pointed to where Zeke could be seen amidst a crowd of mounted enemies, ramming through a wave of enemies by blasting one knight off of his horse with a blow from his spear, and sending a second flailing to the ground with a slash of the sword in his off-hand. 

As that wave of enemies slowed their horses and prepared to turn, a wave of magic attacks crashed into them, with a wave of Zeke’s infantry charging towards them. 

Zeke himself did not even slow down. He galloped towards Jerome, who was trying to rally another wave of soldiers to send towards him. 

As Jerome barked orders, mustache quivering in fear, in spite of all the differences between them all Tatiana could see was Nuibaba. That arrogance, and that disdain for life that enabled Jerome to send men off to die in his name and Nuibaba to murder young girls, that was all Tatiana could see.

Mathilda turned towards where Zeke would meet the next wave of enemies, and then stopped. She set Tatiana on the ground. “You wait back here, Tatiana. I’ll help General Ezekiel fight his way back here to you.”

Before Tatiana could protest, Mathilda raced away. 

Tatiana stomped her foot huffily. She’d help Mathilda beat those two knights. She could help Mathilda and Zeke. She’d show them.

That’s when Tatiana realized Jerome had sent away the last of his guards to fend off Zeke, Mathilda, and Zeke’s loyal forces. He stood alone. 

Tatiana began to run towards him.

Her hair and her dress blew in the wind as she charged, staff in hand, towards the man who had made her love’s life hell. He’d bullied the people of the plains for years. He’d allowed Nuibaba to terrorize the innocent girls of the area. He’d used her as blackmail to keep Zeke from disobeying. So Tatiana was going to give him a piece of her mind.

Tatiana ran through the list of insulting names she’d come up with for Jerome, picked the best one and shouted “Hey General Eyebrow Lips!”

Jerome turned, aghast, knowing down to his bones that the insult was directed at him. “Who dares!”

“I do!” Tatiana screamed at him.

Jerome turned to Tatiana and a smug grin overtook his face. “Ah, General Ezekiel’s trophy. It seems you’ve escaped from Nuibaba’s clutches. I’d like to thank you for the excuse to take Ezekiel down a peg.”

Tatiana was slowly drawing closer to him. “I won’t let you hurt him again, General Eyebrow Lips.”

Jerome’s lip quivered. “It seems I’ll have to discipline you.”

Jerome raised his sword and galloped towards Tatiana.

Tatiana raised her staff to cast Seraphim once again, and she was suddenly haunted by the pain of Nuibaba’s Nosferatu spell. While Nuibaba had to keep Tatiana alive in order to blackmail Zeke, and didn’t risk subjecting Tatiana to the same tortures as the other girls, Nuibaba’s skill with Nosferatu allowed her to drain every drop of energy from Tatiana that was not necessary to keep breathing. Tatiana was always left so weak, it was all she could do to breathe in and out, to keep her heart breathing. She would be propped up in a chair and was forced to watch Nuibaba subject the other girls to the cruelest tortures the witch could think of. 

All of that came surging back to Tatiana as the man who had enabled all of that rode towards her. 

Raising her staff above her head, the light around her dimmed, as if the sun’s light feared her wrath. 

Dark emotions welled from her heart, slithering up her arm, coiling around her her staff, and finally reaching the tip. Tatiana pointed the staff at the charging General, and unseen waves of darkness swarmed towards him. 

As Jerome closed on Tatiana, he felt his muscles grow stiff, and then he physically withered upon his saddle. He was left too weak to command his horse, and fell to the ground, his armor clattering like a dropped plate. 

His armor was so heavy, lifting himself to his knees was like lifting the heavens themselves. But slowly, painfully, he rose to his feet, ready to strike down Tatiana.

In the time he had spent standing up, Tatiana had closed the rest of the distance between them, her muscles swelling with Jerome’s vitality and vigor. As Jerome struggled to his feet, she pulled her fist back.

As Jerome once again stood at his full height, he was suddenly blinded by Tatiana’s incoming fist, slamming into him like a felled tree. His nose shattered under the pressure, and he reeled back, falling onto his back. He moaned weakly, clutching at his nose.

As Tatiana stood over him, shaking the ache out of her hand, she heard the thunder of hooves. She turned, first seeing Mathilda, still a bit off, with an encouraging smile on her face. Then Tatiana noticed the hooves drawing ever closer to her. 

There was a crash as large feet hit the ground running, and the horse ran past her as she was swept into big arms.

Her fantasies of this moment had always been a kiss, but Zeke pulled her tight into a hug that made Tatiana feel as warm and safe as if he’d carried her home. 

He stroked her hair gently, whispering “My darling Tatiana,” unable to say more.

After so long apart, there was nothing else to say.

Tatiana could feel wet drops hit the top of her head, and realized he was crying. Then she realized she was crying.

They stood there, together, living in the moment they’d dreamed of.

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been kinda bummed that Tatiana never gets a chance to get back at Nuibaba, but I thought it'd be fun to let her deck Jerome. She deserves at least that bit of catharsis.


End file.
